


Synopsis: The Road Not Taken

by dairesfanficrefuge_archivist



Category: Highlander: The Series
Genre: Meta, Season/Series 01
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2003-12-31
Updated: 2003-12-31
Packaged: 2018-12-18 07:14:16
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,054
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11869245
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dairesfanficrefuge_archivist/pseuds/dairesfanficrefuge_archivist
Summary: Note from Daire, the archivist: this story was originally archived atDaire's Fanfic Refuge. Deciding to give the stories a more long-term home, I began importing its works to the AO3 as an Open Doors-approved project in August 2017. I e-mailed all creators about the move and posted announcements, but may not have reached everyone. If you are (or know) this creator, please contact me using the e-mail address onDaire's Fanfic Refuge's collection profile.





	Synopsis: The Road Not Taken

**Author's Note:**

> Note from Daire, the archivist: this story was originally archived at [Daire's Fanfic Refuge](http://fanlore.org/wiki/Daire%27s_Fanfic_Refuge). Deciding to give the stories a more long-term home, I began importing its works to the AO3 as an Open Doors-approved project in August 2017. I e-mailed all creators about the move and posted announcements, but may not have reached everyone. If you are (or know) this creator, please contact me using the e-mail address on [Daire's Fanfic Refuge's collection profile](http://archiveofourown.org/collections/dairesfanficrefuge/profile).

The Road Not Taken

**THE ROAD NOT TAKEN**

MacLeod views immortality as a gift-an unlimited opportunity to learn, experience, teach, and help. Not all Immortals share his view. Some use it to further their own ends. 

His old Immortal friend, Kiem Sun started out to perfect a drug to bring the human race 'out of the darkness.' MacLeod sees that Kiem Sun has now become obsessed with the Gathering. His potion will be used to enslave men, creating warriors for his own protection. This is unacceptable to MacLeod, especially since the drug in its present form is toxic, and has already killed one of Richie's friends. 

MacLeod is a man of honor. He has sworn to protect Kiem Sun, but only if he does not 'cross the line'. 

_**New Characters:**_

**KIEM SUN** \- Immortal Chinese herbalist who remained on Holy Ground, for centuries, striving, in vain, to perfect his mind-controlling potion. 

**CHU LIN** \- Kiem Sun's mortal pupil, stole the drug from his teacher for his own nefarious use. 

**GARY** \- street friend of Richie's, good kid, not a drug user but died during a robbery under the effects of Kiem Sun's potion, (given by Chu Lin). 

**ANGIE** \- a savvy streetwise friend of Richie's and Gary's offers to help Rich solve the mystery of Gary's death. 

**SGT. POWELL** \- Police Sgt. We met him in The Gathering. His opinion of Richie has been shaped by Richie's past brushes with the law. It's an extremely negative one. 

* * *

A young man named Gary,   
That Richie knows well,   
Starts acting bizarrely-   
Deranged, sad to tell.   
He seizes a hostage,   
Begins his retreat-   
Then screams out in pain,   
And falls flat in the street. 

Across-town two lovers,   
Share a caress,   
' _Bonne chance,_ ' whispers Duncan,   
As he kisses Tess.   
'Stay out of trouble!'   
She warns with a grin,   
Now what kind of trouble   
Could Duncan get in? 

She hopes the art critics,   
Won't tear her apart,   
But Mac reassures her,   
With all of his heart,   
'They're critics because....'   
(His years made him wise).   
'They cannot be artists,   
So instead, criticize).' 

Tessa's gone, we see Richie-   
Upset, solitary.   
'What's wrong?' queries Mac,   
'It's my old friend, Gary-   
He got hurt, went crazy,   
Can't figure out why.   
Gary was always,   
A real stand up guy.' 

They race to the hospital,   
Find what they dread.   
Gary lies on a slab,   
In the morgue-cold and dead.   
On his head, the dark bruises-   
Set Duncan to thinking,   
'I've seen these before,   
I have a strong inkling.' 

'In China, a few hundred-   
Years in the past,   
My old friend Kiem Sun,   
Herbal enthusiast,   
Housed on Holy Ground,   
He distilled his concoction,   
Forced his students to drink it,   
They obeyed like dumb oxen.' 

'They could fight to the death,   
Heedless of pain,   
He dreamt of an army-   
Of these Supermen!   
They were tireless and fearless,   
Their strength had no equal.   
But all died in agony,   
His potion was lethal!' 

'And each of these warriors,   
Wore Kiem Sun's abuses,   
On the head of each corpse,   
Were the very same bruises.   
If, he's succeeded-   
If this is his potion-   
Think how much evil,   
Will be set in motion!' 

'We are friends, and I vowed,   
To always protect him-   
But if he's crossed the line,   
I'll be forced to reject him.   
If the wrong road he's taken...'   
Says a saddened MacLeod,   
'He'll have to be stopped   
This cannot be allowed.' 

Duncan tells Richie,   
'Kiem Sun must atone,   
If I must lose my friend,   
I'll do it alone.'   
But Richie wants justice,   
To Gary, he's true.   
He ignores Duncan's warning.   
So, what else is new? 

Rich gets himself mugged,   
His timing's no good.   
He is much too 'uptown,'   
For the boys in the 'hood.'   
Still searching for answers,   
He soon finds a helper-   
An old girl friend, Angie-   
Who works in a shelter. 

She lends him some money,   
To get information.   
A bartender witnessed-   
Gary's exploitation.   
A mortal named Chu Lin,   
Was recruiting young guys-   
To pull off the job,   
Causing Gary's demise. 

Now Mac has been prowling,   
Throughout Chinatown,   
In his shiny, black T-Bird,   
To track Kiem Sun down.   
At last, he's successful-   
His dark mission ends,   
When he and Kiem Sun,   
Embrace as old friends. 

'My assistant, Chu Lin,   
Who had my devotion,   
Ruined my life's work,   
When he stole all my potion.'   
Mac is enraged!   
'Are you mad? Are you blind?   
You cannot bring peace,   
By drugging men's minds!' 

'Let's work as a team,   
It really is simple,   
Get the drug off the street,   
Bring it back to the temple.'   
'Fine,' says Kiem Sun,   
'We will visit Chu Lin,   
But meanwhile indulge me,   
Some swordplay, my friend?' 

'We're on Holy Ground,   
Do you not agree?   
We can't hurt each other,   
Your head's safe from me.'   
So Duncan obliges,   
Kiem Sun seems so candid,   
But Duncan is wary-   
And fights him LEFT-handed. 

In a warehouse downtown,   
Chu Lin stands inscrutable.   
Serving hot tea to bikers,   
With Sun's pharmaceutical.   
Before they can swallow,   
Rich and Angie appear-   
Chu Lin knocks out Angie,   
Then plays musketeer. 

As he readies his knife,   
To slit Richie's jugular,   
Kiem Sun makes his entrance,   
'Where's my potion, you murderer!'   
Chu Lin retreats quickly,   
He's taken aback-   
His escape route is blocked,   
By the Highlander-Mac. 

Chu Lin pulls TWO knives,   
No match for Mac's blade,   
MacLeod is through playing,   
Pipers MUST be paid.   
Chu Lin now is quaking,   
MacLeod stands unfazed,   
'Sign a confession!'   
Mac's eyes are ablaze. 

Suddenly Kiem Sun leaps-   
Forward, sword raised-   
And skewers Chu Lin,   
While Mac stares amazed!   
Kiem Sun confronts Mac.   
Thinking Mac's ripe for taking,   
But Mac's now RIGHT-handed!   
(All along, he's been faking). 

MacLeod defeats Sun,   
But Sun's life is spared-   
In memory of friendship-   
The two of them shared.   
The rest of the potion,   
Mac pours on Lin's corpse,   
Mac addresses Kiem Sun,   
Who shows no remorse. 

'Your aims once were noble,   
Peace and justice for man,   
But your fear of the Gathering,   
Corrupted your plan.   
You now want an army,   
To kill those you lure-   
But the Gathering will find you.   
Of that I am sure.' 

'I'll show you no mercy,   
Since you crossed the line.   
Persist in this madness-   
I'll kill you next time!   
Mac looks back with sadness,   
At the friend he once prized,   
And slowly departs,   
With tears in his eyes.' 

Peace, Emit   
© 2001-2003 

~ Innocent Man   
  
---


End file.
